SAVANNAH, GA, 3/18/23 – We are excited to announce that The Habersham School is the recipient of two generous gifts to establish an endowment that will, at present, provide an annual scholarship to one rising 9th-12th grade Habersham student. The endowment, to be known as the Thomas C. Welch Scholarship Fund, was created with the generous spirit of Tom’s wife, Lucia Welch, to honor the memory of her late husband Thomas C. Welch III, a former Trustee of Grace Church of the Islands — the founding home of The Habersham School.
Tom was a respected engineer/superintendent at International Paper (formerly Union Camp Corporation), a community leader, a philanthropist, a devoted husband to his wife, Lucia, a dedicated father to his daughters, Lucia Reed and Susan Barry (Habersham Athletics Director), son, Thomas Welch IV, and a beloved grandfather to Habersham alum, Charles J. Barry, current Habersham student, S. Isaac Barry, and to Thomas C. Welch V, Robert I. Welch, and John L. Welch. Tom was an avid boatsman having spent many hours on the Wilmington River and Intracoastal Waterway. He was also a voracious reader who rarely went anywhere without a book in hand.
The purpose of the Thomas C. Welch Scholarship Fund is to support The Habersham School in its pursuit to inspire lifelong learning in its students. This fund will award one annual scholarship to the recipient of the Thomas C. Welch III Scholarship, a student who personifies Christ-like character and exhibits academic achievement. The Thomas C. Welch III Scholarship recipient will be announced at the end-of-year Closing Ceremonies, beginning in 2023.
The vision of the Thomas C. Welch Scholarship Fund is to provide assistance to students in their pursuit of education and in their desire to contribute to the advancement of the Gospel through those pursuits. It is the desire of the benefactors to continue to grow the fund to the benefit of more students. It is hoped that other individuals and families will want to honor their loved ones through similar contributory endowments to the fund.
We are extremely grateful for this significant gift that will be a blessing to so many Habersham families. How appropriate it is to honor the memory of a man who embodied honesty, integrity, loyalty, and strength of character – the very qualities that we strive to cultivate in all of our students. What a perfect way to honor a life well lived!
If you are interested in contributing to this fund or finding out more information, please contact our Director of Advancement, Chaston Hart, by phone at 912.509.0540 ext. 108 or by email at chart@thehabershamschool.org.
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